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Home extensions and renovations in Livingstone — do you need approval?

Livingstone Shire Council's planning scheme — the Livingstone Planning Scheme 2018 — decides whether an extension needs a development application, and the answer depends on the zone your property is in. Below is what its table of assessment says for each zone; or check your own address.

In a low density residential zone

Accepted if you meet the requirements. Extending your house is accepted if it meets the zone code rules, otherwise a development application is needed (building approval still applies).

I don't know my zone — choose my council instead

The zone is on your rates notice, or a Landbrief site report will find it for you.

Zone by zone

Building work for a dwelling house. Residential zones first.

ZoneWhat the table saysConditionsWhat you'll need
Low Density Residential Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 alteration/addition increasing site cover or height, meeting the zone code outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Low density residential zone code AO2.1, AO2.2, AO2.3, AO2.4, AO2.5, AO3.2, AO3.4
Low-Medium Density Residential Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 alteration/addition increasing site cover or height, meeting the zone code outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Low-medium density residential zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO1.3, AO1.4, AO1.5, AO2.2, AO2.4
Medium Density Residential Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 alteration/addition increasing site cover or height, meeting the zone code outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Medium density residential zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO1.3, AO1.4, AO1.5, AO2.2, AO2.4
Emerging Community Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or building height and meets the stated acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Emerging community zone code acceptable outcomes AO1.1, AO1.2, AO2.1, AO4.1, AO4.2, AO4.3, AO4.4, AO5.1
Rural Residential Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 an addition that increases site cover or height Building approvalAssessed against: Rural residential zone code AO2.1, AO2.2, AO3.1, AO3.2
Township Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 an addition that increases site cover or height Building approvalAssessed against: Township zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO1.3, AO2.2, AO2.4
Community Facilities Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if it increases site cover or height, meeting the zone code acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Community facilities zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO2.3, AO2.4, AO2.5, Development works code
District Centre Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or heightIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: District centre zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO2.2, AO2.3, AO2.4
Environmental Management and Conservation Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if it increases site cover or height, meeting the zone code acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Environmental management and conservation zone code AO4.1, Development works code
Limited Development Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or building height and meets the stated acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Limited development zone code acceptable outcomes AO5.1, AO5.2, AO6.1
Local Centre Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or heightIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Local centre zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO2.2, AO2.4, AO2.5, AO3.1
Low Impact Industry Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if it increases site cover or height, meeting the zone code acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Low impact industry zone code AO3.1, AO3.2, AO4.2, AO4.3, AO4.4, Development works code
Major Centre Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or heightIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Major centre zone code AO11.1, AO11.2, AO13.2, AO13.3
Major Tourism Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 alteration/addition/extension that increases site cover or height; meet the stated zone code acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Major tourism zone code acceptable outcomes (Capricorn International Resort Precinct: AO1.1, AO1.2, AO1.3, AO2.1, AO2.3; Great Keppel Island Precinct: AO3.1, AO3.2, AO3.3, AO4.1, AO4.2, AO4.4), Development works code
Medium Impact Industry Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if it increases site cover or height, meeting the zone code acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Medium impact industry zone code AO3.1, AO3.2, AO4.2, AO4.3, AO4.4, Development works code
Neighbourhood Centre Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or heightIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Neighbourhood centre zone code AO2.1, AO2.2, AO3.2, AO3.3, AO3.4
Open Space Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 an addition that increases site cover or height Building approvalAssessed against: Open space zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO1.3, AO2.1, AO2.2, AO2.3, AO2.4
Rural Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 an addition that increases site cover or height Building approvalAssessed against: Rural zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO2.1, AO4.1, AO4.2, AO5.1 (or Yaamba precinct AO6.1, AO8.1, AO9.1, AO9.2, AO10.1)
Special Purpose Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or building height and meets the stated acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Special purpose zone code acceptable outcomes AO1.1, AO1.2, AO1.3, AO2.2, AO2.3, AO2.4, AO2.5
Specialised Centre Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 if the alteration/addition increases site cover or building height and meets the stated acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Specialised centre zone code acceptable outcomes AO1.1, AO1.2, AO2.2, AO2.3, AO2.4
Sport and Recreation Zone Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.6.1 alteration/addition increasing site cover or heightIf not met: a development application with code assessment. Building approvalAssessed against: Sport and recreation zone code AO1.1, AO1.2, AO1.3, AO2.1, AO2.2, AO2.3, AO2.4

Overlays that change the answer

  • Acid Sulfate Soils Overlay. Below 20m AHD, building work, reconfiguring a lot, operational work or a material change of use becomes code assessable where it involves excavation of 100m³ or more of soil/sediment, or filling of land below 5m AHD with 500m³ or more of fill at an average depth of 0.5m or more. (Table 5.9.1)
  • Coastal Hazard Overlay. Within the erosion prone area or storm tide hazard area, a dwelling house/MCU and reconfiguring a lot become code assessable in the circumstances set out; building work (new/extension/fill/secondary dwelling) becomes accepted subject to requirements of the coastal hazard overlay code. (Table 5.9.5)
  • Flood Hazard Overlay. Within the flood hazard overlay, a dwelling house/MCU and reconfiguring a lot become code assessable in the circumstances set out; building work (new/extension/fill/secondary dwelling) becomes accepted subject to the requirements of the flood hazard overlay code. (Table 5.9.7)
  • Heritage Place Overlay. Within or adjacent to a State or local heritage site (distance triggers of 5–50m by site), MCU, reconfiguring a lot, building work and operational work become accepted subject to requirements or code assessable, particularly where features/trees are altered, removed or demolished. (Table 5.9.8)
  • Landslide Hazard Overlay. Within the landslide hazard overlay (where slope not certified under 15%), MCU and reconfiguring a lot become code assessable, and building work involving >50m³ excavation/fill, a retaining wall ≥1m, or vegetation clearing becomes code assessable. (Table 5.9.9)
  • Scenic Amenity Overlay. Within scenic amenity management areas, coastal green break, coastal scenic transport route or coastline foreshore overlays, building work and MCU that are accepted become accepted subject to requirements (and code assessment escalates); reconfiguring a lot becomes code assessable; certain clearing/earthwork/advertising become ASR or code assessable. (Table 5.9.10)
  • Height Limits Overlay. A material change of use involving a new building/structure exceeding the zone's stated height limit becomes impact assessable. (Table 5.9.12)

Worth knowing in Livingstone

Minimum lot sizes shown are the ToA thresholds above which creating additional lots is code assessable; below those thresholds reconfiguring is impact assessable (the Reconfiguring a Lot Code Table 9.3.3.4.2 sets the detailed minimum lot areas/dimensions/frontages, which was not fully reproduced here). Note precinct variations: Rural Residential (Park Residential Precinct 4000m² vs 2ha elsewhere); Rural Zone (Capricorn Coast Rural Precinct 10ha, Class A/B Agricultural Land 60ha, otherwise 150ha); Rural and Township zones have a Yaamba Historic Township Precinct that changes dwelling house/building work categories. For shop_office the three uses (Shop, Food and drink outlet, Office) can differ — e.g. in centre zones a Shop/Food and drink outlet is often accepted/ASR if within an existing building but code assessable if a new building or drive-through, while in Township and Specialised Centre zones these uses are generally code assessable. The Seaspray Local Plan overrides the underlying zone for dwelling house, dual occupancy and building work within its precincts (dwelling house and dual occupancy are accepted subject to requirements). Overlays only change categories to the extent the premises is affected by the overlay, and overlay effects do not apply where the relevant overlay code's accepted-development acceptable outcomes are met. A separate building approval under the Building Act is required for building work even where planning categorises it as accepted. State Vegetation Management Act rules operate separately from the scheme's clearing provisions.

What else you'll need

  • Building approval

More about Livingstone

Other projects in Livingstone

Granny flatDual occupancySubdivideShed or carportPoolFence or wallHome businessTownhousesShop, café or officeClear treesDemolish

The statewide position on this project: Extension in Queensland.

Read from the Livingstone Planning Scheme 2018 tables of assessment. General information, not advice. The council's planning scheme and the Planning Act 2016 decide — confirm with the council or a town planner before you build.